Letter: Halting gum disease

I read with interest the article a few weeks ago by Andy Lindstrom on how to protect your teeth and gums.

I have fought gum disease for the past 40 years. I had gum surgery once in the '70s, once in the '80s and once in the '90s. About 15 years ago, I had a pocket beside one of my bridge support teeth large enough for a proxy brush to go in. A dentist in Ruston suggested I try cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide and a proxy brush once a day.

His belief was that the bacteria would not multiply if it were disturbed once a day with this disinfectant. I faithfully cleaned it daily for the next year and gradually it disappeared.

I now felt that I understood how to keep my natural teeth most of my life. If this would work with a pocket this large, it would surely work with the rest of my teeth. I then had to decide if I wanted to commit to do this every day for the rest of my life. I came to the conclusion that my teeth were a gift from God and that I would be disobedient if I didn't use what He had given me.

Every evening after supper, I brush first with baking soda, then with toothpaste and then use full strength hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash. While the peroxide is still fizzing in my mouth, I do a through job of flossing my teeth. I have two bridges so I have to use floss threaders to clean around them. I had pockets 5-6 millimeters deep when I started this procedure. After 15 years without gum surgery, I still have pockets, but they are now in the 3-4 millimeter range.

I still get my teeth cleaned twice a year, but I am always complemented on how well my gum color looks. There are other things that I do, such as take 1,000-2,000 mg of Ester C daily, along with about 900-1,200 mg of calcium citrate and 2,000 units of vitamin D3, but I am convinced the major improvement has come from the cleaning method.

For me the choice is clear. I can use this cleaning method or I can pay a periodontist for gum surgery every few years and take a chance on losing my teeth in the process.

Dorsey Byers

Calhoun

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Letter: Halting gum disease

I read with interest the article a few weeks ago by Andy Lindstrom on how to protect your teeth and gums.